Hi everyone, just wanted to share – I’ve finished the Shavian cover for my novel, Blue Are the Hills. The full Shavian transliteration is complete, and it’s almost ready for release (now I’m just doing battle with Scrivener to compile it properly). There are almost no modern novels in Shavian, so I’m looking forward to sharing mine. It’s a literary sci-fi novel about identity, hope, and transhumanism. Only a couple of things left to do and it will be ready. This has been a very fun project!

What’s Shavian? I’m glad you asked! It’s an alphabet created by John Kingsley Read in response to a challenge by George Bernard Shaw, intended to make a lexicon specifically designed for English, in order to make reading and writing English easier.

Here’s more info, including many resources (lexicon, guidelines, fonts): shavian.info.

It’s fun if you’re into linguistics or cryptography at all.

  • Remy Rose@piefed.socialEnglish
    2·
    3 days ago

    Ordered! I would’ve liked to get it from somewhere other than Amazon, but for the physical copy it’s not like a huge deal. However, I’d have also picked up the eBook if a non-Amazon version existed.

    I literally just learned what Shavian even is like a couple days ago, from a Lemmy post, so unfortunately don’t expect my review anytime too soon lol. Can’t wait to read it though!

      • LillyPip@lemmy.caOPEnglish
        1·
        2 days ago

        Thank you!

        I didn’t know my book was being resold on bookshop.org – thanks! They’re likely placing orders on my Amazon listing then reshipping (that’s the only way they could be listing it legally, since I’m currently exclusive to Amazon). So I expect orders placed there are actually using Amazon behind the scenes.

        I’ll check it out and see if there’s a way to sell through there without involving Amazon. I’m not a fan of Amazon, either.

        Cheers!

  • Nico198X
    3·
    4 days ago

    just ordered my copy!

    let me warn you now that i’m an exceptionally slow reader, even in English! XD but i look forward to it!

  • Nico198X
    3·
    6 days ago

    this is so cool!

    did you do the whole process yourself?

    • LillyPip@lemmy.caOPEnglish
      2·
      6 days ago

      Thank you!

      Yes, I did. If you read it and find typos etc, I’d love to know!

      • Nico198X
        3·
        6 days ago

        Love it! VERY inspiring stuff! So good to see people living the dream like this.

        Where can i find this work?

          • Nico198X
            2·
            6 days ago

            thanks, i’ll check it out!

            how long did it take you to do the transliteration into Shavian?

            btw i’ve crossposted this to a new Shavian community also.

            • LillyPip@lemmy.caOPEnglish
              3·
              6 days ago

              Thanks! Much appreciated.

              It took 5 months, but I was also learning Shavian whilst doing it. It was a fun project, and I think a similar project would take less time now.

              e: there were a LOT of self-editing passes.